Tears
by Kyra5972
Summary: When the telephone rings, he drops everything, because all he’s got is that eight o’clock. Prequel to Hurry Home


**Title:** Tears

**Author:** Kyra

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them; if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. Song is 'Tears' by Jason Michael Carroll.

**Summary:** When the telephone rings, he drops everything, because all he's got is that eight o'clock.

**Pairings:** None

**Spoilers:** Pre-series for both House and BtVS.

**Warnings:** None

**A/N:** Okay, so I wasn't planning on adding anything to Hurry Home, but I was listening to this song and started getting an idea for a prequel. I hope you all like it!

**A/N2:** I realize I haven't posted anything in ages and I apologize for that. I've had a major case of writer's block and been insanely busy with school starting back up at the end of August. Thankfully, I finally managed to get something written, so I hope you all like it!

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Gregory House sighed as he looked around his new apartment. The place was virtually empty, the only things he'd really moved in so far being his bed, his piano, and a couch. Though, he wasn't really sure why he even bothered moving the bed in, it wasn't like he slept all that much. If he wasn't working at the hospital, most of his time was spent thinking about his three-year-old daughter, Faith. Faith was the product of a short fling with her mother, Sasha, but that didn't mean he loved her any less. When Sasha had found out she was pregnant, they'd moved into an apartment together, but Sasha had left only six months after Faith was born. Since then House saw his daughter whenever he could, if he wasn't at the hospital, he was visiting Faith. At least, that's how it was until about a month ago when Sasha had decided to move to Boston. Now his visits with his daughter are down to every other weekend. He talks to her every night, though. Eight o'clock on the dot every night. Sometimes the thought of that call is the only thing that gets him through the day. No matter what he's doing, when that phone rings, he drops everything. His little girl is the center of his universe and he wouldn't miss her call for the world.

House glanced at his watch for what must have been the tenth time in the last two minutes. Seven fifty-nine. One more minute. And just as he knew it would, as soon as it hits eight o'clock, his phone rings.

House smiled as he answered the phone. "Hey, Baby Girl."

"Hi, Daddy," Faith replied, her tiny voice carrying down the line and causing tears to form in his eyes just as it always did. He was always so thankful that Faith couldn't hear the tears or tell he was crying, he knew she'd think it was her fault and he didn't want that.

"I miss you, Baby," House said.

"I miss you, too."

House smiled as he talked to his daughter, listening as she talked about her day, and as always, the half hour that he got to talk to her every night just flew by and soon they were saying their goodbyes.

"Night, night, Daddy," Faith said. "Miss you a lot."

"I miss you, too, Baby Girl," House replied as a tear slipped down his face. "I love you, Faith."

"Love you, too, Daddy."

Then there was a soft click, and his little angel's voice was replaced with the dial tone. Hanging up the phone, he sighed softly and scrubbed a hand over his face, wishing he could see her more than the every other weekend the custody agreement and location issues allowed him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

House glanced at the clock hanging on the wall in the clinic and headed for an empty exam room, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket as he went. It had been about a year and a half since Sasha moved to Boston with Faith and not much had changed, he still only saw his daughter every other weekend and they still had their eight o'clock phone calls.

His boss and friend, Lisa Cuddy, knew about Faith and their phone calls and allowed him half an hour from eight until eight thirty to talk to his daughter if he was scheduled to work. If he had a patient, his best friend and fellow doctor, James Wilson, would take over for him so House could take the call.

That was something else that hadn't changed over the last year and a half, he still dropped everything when his little girl called.

House closed the door to the exam room just as his phone rang and quickly answered.

"Hey, Baby Girl."

"Hi, Daddy!"

House settled back on the exam table as Faith babbled about her day for a few minutes, telling him all about how she was learning to read. Soon, he was smiling as he listened to her sounding her way through a Dr. Seuss book. Last night it had been _Green Eggs and Ham_, the night before was _One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish_, tonight was the classic Dr. Seuss, _The Cat in the Hat_. Closing his eyes, it was so easy to imagine her sitting in an over-stuffed chair, the book on her lap as she slowly made her way through it. He couldn't hold her and look at the pictures with her as she read, but he could hear the pages turn.

Soon, their half hour was up and he could hear Sasha in the background telling Faith it was time for her bath.

"I gotta go, Daddy," Faith said. "Momma says I have to take a bath."

House closed his eyes again as a tear slid down his cheek as he heard Faith blow a kiss down the line.

"Night, night, Daddy. Miss you a lot," Faith said, the line having become tradition, the two of them always ending the call the same way.

"I miss you, too, Baby Girl. I love you," House replied, trying to swallow back the tears.

"I love you, too, Daddy."

House snapped the phone shut as the line went dead. He continued to lie on the table for a few minutes as he tried to get his emotions under control once again. He hated that he couldn't be there to tuck her into bed, he should be able to hold her while she read to him, should be the one giving her a bath every night, he should be the one tucking her into bed. Instead, all he had was visits every other weekend and eight o'clock phone calls. Though, it was better than nothing, so he was thankful for what he did have.

Taking a deep breath, House steeled himself once more before standing up and slipping his phone back into his pocket. Heading for the door, he glanced up at the clock. Eight forty-five. Sighing softly, he opened the door and stepped back out into the clinic. Only twenty-three hours and fifteen minutes until he could talk to Faith again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_I paid first and last months rent  
__I wondered why I even carried in that old bed of mine  
_'_Cause it's not like I ever sleep  
__All I do is think of her  
__And wonder how I'm gonna make things work  
_'_Cause I know as a dad I've got a lot of responsibilities  
__And even though God gave His gift to the both of us  
__Somehow every other weekend is how it ended up_

_So when the telephone rings  
__I drop everything  
_'_Cause when all you got is that eight o'clock  
__Night night, Daddy, miss you a lot  
__I stop in my tracks  
__And I try to act strong when she calls  
__And I thank God  
__She can't hear the tears when they fall_

_Now it's her, Dr. Seuss and me  
__She's learning how to read  
__And I can't see the pictures but I can hear those pages turn  
__And her momma says it's bath time  
__So she blows a kiss through the line  
__I don't know what's worse, the saying goodbye or talking to her  
_'_Cause I'm the one who should be there tuckin' her into bed  
__But since her voice is all I have, I'm thankful for what I get_

_So when the telephone rings  
__I drop everything  
_'_Cause when all you got is that eight o'clock  
__Night night, Daddy, miss you a lot  
__I stop in my tracks  
__And I try to act strong when she calls  
__And I thank God  
__She can't hear the tears when they fall  
__  
If she knew I was crying  
__She might think it's her fault  
__Oh, but that's just me missing her  
__Every time we talk_

_So when the telephone rings  
__I drop everything  
_'_Cause when all you got is that eight o'clock  
__Night night, Daddy, miss you a lot  
__I stop in my tracks  
__And I try to act strong when she calls  
__And I thank God  
__She can't hear the tears when they fall_

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**Well, what do you think? I'm not real sure about the end, I couldn't figure out how to end it and this is what I ended up coming up with. Anyway, let me know what you think!**

**~ Kyra**


End file.
